Our Royal Family

Our Royal Family

My Boy

My Boy
Age 14

The Countessa

The Countessa
Age 14

The Duchess

The Duchess
Age 13

The Princess

The Princess
Age 11

The Pooch

The Pooch
age 6

Miss Pooch

Miss Pooch
age 2

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Ten on Tuesday

1. We've taken a break from "Summer Homeschool" this week due to the kids being at bible camp all week.  They are loving it!  We'll get back on our summer schedule next Monday.

2. I'm hoping to get some of my printables loaded for our Virtual Road Trip curriculm by weeks end. 

3. I think I've lost my mind.......................more on this later

4. I have lots, and lots, and lots of photos I would like to share here.............would be helpful if my photo editing software was cooperating!!!!!!!!!!

5. I LOVE my new washing machine!!!!  My laundry has been cut in half due to the load capacity!  LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

6. "The House That Built Me" is my current favorite song.  LOVE IT!!

7.  We just learned that our old house has gone into forclosure.  I feel bad for the woman who bought it from us.  Sad.  It was 5 years ago tomorrow that our sale closed.  I Loved that house!!  All my babies were born there!  Lots of memories in those walls!!

8. I wish Hubby and I had extra cash kickin around so we could buy back our old house and have it as a rental property.   I can dream!!

9. We are FINALLY having summer weather!!  90's today, but back down to 60's tomorrow and the rest of the week.

10. I'm 37 years old, quickly appraoching 38, and have FINALLY decided what I want to be when I grow up!!  More on this later!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Schools Out!!!!

Last Thursday was the last day of school for the 2009-2010 school year.  We have official begun our summer vacation and thankfully the weather is acting accordingly!  It's been in the low 90's all weekend.  Which means we have spent long hours poolside and unfortunatley we have the sunburns to prove it!  Just an FYI.....not all sunscreen is waterproof!!!  I learned this the hard way!  The poor Duchess got burned the worst, but is healing up.........she looks like a snake shedding it's skin.

Today marked the official start of our summer "homeschool" curriculm and I was surprised by how excited the kids were to get going with it!  It was actually alot of fun!

Here is our summer curriculm:
* Vitual Road Trip-- learning about states.  Our first State is California. I will post my printables for this when we complete a lesson.
* Workboxes-- Various activities from Spelling, Vocab work and math.  Mostly presented in game format
*Daily Journals-- At the end of each day, before bed, the kids each write what their favorite part of the day was and draw a picture to go with it.
*Summer Scrapbook-- We do this on Fridays.  I take many pictures during the week and on Friday the kids get to pick which pictures they want printed.  I print them and they each have their own 12x12 scrapbook with various supplies to make a page for the week.
*Family Tree-- Genealogy is one of my major hobbies and latley my kids have shown alot of interest, so I decided to have them each make their own family tree book with all their relatives documented. 
*Summer Reading Program-- This is a fun program offered through our local library which allows the kids to earn prizes for reaching certain goals...5 books read, 10 books, 15 books ect.
*Pen Pal Journal-- I got this idea from Confessions of a Homeschooler who got it from another homeschool site.  So far my kids LOVE this activity!!

I will have many photos and printables to share shortly. 

Friday, June 4, 2010

Weekly Wrap-up and Stuff........

This week has been very, very busy.  We are approaching the end of the school year which means lots of class parties, class presentations, graduations.  Result.....I haven't had much time for blogging.  Words can not describe how I feel about the last day of school...next Thursday.  Relief, sadness, excitment....are just a few things I'm feeling these days.

We have a busy weekend ahead with My Boys baseball team party and my girls Girl Scout Family Picnic.  No sleepin in for me this weekend!

How about some Friday Follow Fun Stuff............

First up 5QFriday hosted by My Little Life
1. If you could go back to college would you change your major? Or, if you were to go to college right now...what major would you choose? This is something I'm strongly considering!  When I went to college ???? years ago I majored in Early Childhood Development and worked for 10yrs as a preschool teacher and I owned a homebased preschool.  I haven't worked since just prior to concieving my twins.  Recently I've been strongly leaning towards returning to college to get a Elementary Teaching degree.  I would LOVE to teach 2nd or 3rd grade.  This fall The Princess heads to kindergarten, so it may be an ideal time for me to return to school part-time........we'll see......


2. What do you love most about your home? Right now that is a VERY tough question to answer!!  Currently my plumbing is on the frits.....kitchen sinks clogged and one bathroom is clogged.  If this was a fluke I'd be ok with it, but it is a FREQUENT accurance and I'm SICK of it!!!!  So at this moment, I don't like anything about my home!!!  Execpt that I have one!

3. What types of books do you like to read (if you like to read at all)? I LOVE to read!  I like historical novels mostly.....books about kings & queens.  Currently I'm reading about vampires......no not Twilight.......Occassionaly I'll throw in a mindless trashy romance if I need just a quick read.

4. What is the grossest thing you've ever eaten? I have a rule I follow.....if it smells bad there is NO WAY it taste good!  This has helped me avoid anything nasty!  That rule aside, I think the grossest thing I have ever eaten is Miracle Whip!  GROSS!!!!!!!

5. If you HAD to be a character on a TV show, whom would you be? Hmmmm, this is tough, I mostly watch reality shows, but I definetly wouldn't want to be any of those people.  I guess I'd have to go with Jennifer Love Hewitts character on Ghost Whisperer.  I don't watch the show much, but I think it would be pretty interesting to commun with the dead.


Next up Friday Fill-Ins

1. New York is my favorite place to travel to.


2. When I think about my childhood, I often remember playing Barbies.

3. Sincerilty makes for a good friend.

4. The wind in the trees, the rain on my skin, makes me happy!

5. Life is so exciting!

6. My best friend knows when I need her.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting to bed early, tomorrow my plans include swimming and Sunday, I want to RELAX!



Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Defining Moments


Our lives are made up of moments; large and small, meaningful and unidentifiable. Among the moments that make up our lives each of us experience “Defining Moments.” These are moments in our lives that change us forever.

Defining moments change your opinion of someone or something. They can change your view of a subject or the world at large. Bottom line, they change who you are from that moment on.

May 26, 2007 held a defining moment for me. On that day my Grandfather passed away. His passing in and of it’s self was not a defining moment. We knew it was coming, and had known for several days.

In April he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He was given a few options for treatment; chemo, surgery or nothing at all. At age 84 he was a very active man, he loved photography and traveling the world. It came as no surprise to any of us that he chose surgery to remove the cancer. His thoughts were go in, get it out, and move on.

On May 16, 2007 he went in for surgery. He came out as he had predicted…cancer free.

On May 20, 2007, while still in the hospital recovering, he suffered a massive heart attack and had to be resuscitated three times. He ultimately ended up on a respirator. He would never come off.

On May 24, 2007 I saw him for the first time in over a year. When I entered his room he was awake and alert. When he saw me, the man I had grown up with as the patriarch of our family; strong, stable, sobbed. A piece of my heart broke away that day. I sat simply holding his hand. There were no words I could say. I knew he was dying and although I had much I wished to say, I simply held his once strong hand.

On the morning of May 26, 2007 his doctors informed us he was in complete organ failure. It was left to my Grandmother, his wife of 62 years, and his six children to decide whether to keep him on the respirator or let him go.

Once the decision was made my Grandmother asked that we all be present for his passing. I walked silently into his hospital room along with my Grandmother, my mother, my three sisters, my four aunts and five of my cousins. The nurse explained not only to us, but also to my Grandfather, what would happen next. He shook his head in agreement with silent tears rolling down his cheeks.

As the machines were shut off and the respirator toob was removed my Grandmother held his hand. All the while my mother and her sisters gathered around his bed. In less than two minutes he was gone.

On May 26, 2007 I walked into a hospital room in Arizona as one person, but I left as a completely different person. Being present for my Grandfathers passing was a gift and a defining moment in my life. I am so grateful to have had him as my Grandfather for 35 years and I’m blessed to have him watching over me now.